Labour councillor on Leeds City Council representing the people of Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton

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My letter to the Yorkshire Evening Post

I’d like to thank the Yorkshire Evening Post for reporting theshocking shortage of affordable housing in Leeds (YEP, January 8). Itis outrageous that Councillor Les Carter dismisses the figures soglibly. Doesn’t he realise that these numbers represent real peoplewho have to live in deplorable circumstances? Families with childrenare forced to camp out in the homes of family or friends, because theyhave nowhere else to go. This causes intolerable strain on personalrelationships, health and the education of children.

Even when homes do become available it is unlikely that local peopleare in with a chance. In Rothwell where I live many of the homes thatare let by the council go to people from outside the area, leavinglocal people to suffer in silence.

Thank goodness that Labour Councillor Richard Lewis wants to dosomething about helping local people by calling for more affordablehousing for sale and for rent. It’s a shame that Councillor Carterdoesn’t care about the suffering his Tory run council is causing.

One thought on “My letter to the Yorkshire Evening Post”

Cllr Carter’s comments are absolutely breathtaking.
This is one of the biggest social problems we face in Leeds, and to dismiss it as (effectively) an administrative quirk defies belief.
I just don’t know how this is soluble though, unless LCC simply builds more houses. But the unavailability of land, combined with the willingness of private developers to build blocks of ‘professional’ flats seemingly anywhere in Leeds means that it’s not a problem that can be resolved anytime soon.
It’s a liquidity problem – in reverse – private developers have access to so much cheap debt that they’re happy to leverage up their schemes on the back of rising prices in the future – and investors and financial institutions are happy to back their bet.
The question is whether it’s sustainable. As an example, where I live (Methley), a developer is currently building flats and houses where the New Bay Horse used to be, and has gutted and refurbished a row of 4 terraced houses adjacent to the plot. As I understand it though, not one has yet sold. £150k for a 2 bed terrace is unaffordable for anyone who wants to live there, and is not a viable private investment (say, £500/month rent=£6k per year=4%) – the yield’s too low – you may as well put the money in the bank. It’ll be interesting to see what happens, but with interest rates ticking up and wage inflation remaining low, the prospects for sale are even worse – inevitably the price will have to come down, and probably materially so.
Clearly, this is a tiny issue in a tiny dormitory village of Leeds – but if this became a trend, and sentiment moved against Leeds as a place to drop new blocks of flats – and interest rates ticked up – and the price of steel (another issue entirely) kept moving up – then perhaps the market will have intervened on LCC’s behalf to resolve house prices and affordability.
But this is a long term shift – and LCC has to act now, whether PFI or self-funded – or face widening the division between the have lots and the have nots in Leeds.

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